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Water Pepper
Edible 
Autumn 
Spring 
Summer
This common but inconspicuous freshwater plant lives at the edges of rivers. Its young leaves and growing tips can be added to a dish during cooking (as a freshwater plant it needs to be cooked) as a pepper substitute.
| Hedgerow Type | |
| Common Names | Water Pepper, Water Pepper, Smartweed, Arse smart, Marsh Pepper, Tade. |
| Scientific Name | Persicaria hydropiper |
| Season Start | Jun |
| Season End | Oct |
Leaves
Lance shaped leaves with fine hairs along the edge
Flowers
Tiny pink flowers on upright or nodding stems from July to September.
Flower Buds
The flower buds are green but similar in size and shape to the flowers.
Habitat
Water Pepper grows in damp ditches, stream edges, puddles or anywhere wet.
Possible Confusion
There are no dangerous lookalikes but many of the Persicaria genus are hard to distinguish, with 9 different species and many hybrids. Redshank (Persicaria maculosa) is a common weed but inhabits drier areas than Water-pepper. Its flower spikes do not droop, it has red on the stems, and often dark areas on the leaves. Tasteless Water-pepper is very similar but lacks the pungent taste. Pale and Small Water-pepper are both very similar but with upstanding flower spikes. The clearest way to distinguish the water pepper is the hot taste of the leaves (once cooked if there is any chance they have been in the water).
Taste
The leaves are hot or acrid thus the name water pepper.
Frequency
Common throughout British Isles
Other Facts
This has many common names, several alluding to its acrid taste, arse smart and smartweed.
Water Pepper is in the same group as japanese knotweed and a close relative of the common weed, redshank.
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